DOES GOD EXIST? TODAY

April 15, 2026April 13, 2026

Social Darwinism at Work

The African country of Nigeria is an interesting test case for examining the effects of social Darwinism at work. The root of Nigeria’s problems dates back to the late 19th century, when European countries met and divided up Africa. They were interested in the natural resources available on that continent and in the market opportunities for European products.

Great Britain gained control of what is now Nigeria, created by the amalgamation of some Islamic states into what became northern Nigeria. Some parts of the country were put under the control of Christians, but northern Nigeria was handed over to agnostics who believed in Darwinian evolution. The British government appointed Sir Frederick Lugard as governor of northern Nigeria in 1912. Lugard placed the leadership in the hands of radical and violent Islamists known as the Fulani, who were known for terrorizing and pillaging the peaceful Christian villages.

Frederick Lugard was not a fan of Islam, but with his Darwinian view, he felt that the Fulani were more evolved than the darker-skinned natives. He considered their lighter skin color to indicate they were farther up the ladder of evolution and therefore closer to the white race. This attitude was in keeping with that of Charles Darwin. Lugard’s wife, Flora, shared his opinion and compared black people to animals that needed to be managed as livestock.

While social Darwinism at work was destroying northern Nigeria, areas of Nigeria under Christian control prospered. In those areas, Africans held key positions in the administration not because of the shade of their skin but because of their skills. Christian missionaries had free access to establish schools and to promote modern agricultural and business practices.

In Nigeria, we have seen over many years the results of social Darwinism at work. Religious violence and persecution have resulted in more Christians being killed in Nigeria than in all other countries combined. A radical Islamic group called Boko Haram aims to establish Nigeria as an Islamic state. Since 1999, the Muslim-dominated northern Nigerian states have implemented strict Sharia law.

We can place the blame for Nigeria’s disorder on religious conflict between Muslims and Christians, but it really goes back to social Darwinism at work. As Christians, we believe, as the Bible teaches, that all people are created in God’s image and therefore equal and deserving of our respect. Evolution teaches the struggle for survival in which the strong dominate and even destroy the weak. Those who follow the teaching of Christ protect the weak, defend the oppressed, and care for the sick. Which of those philosophies creates a better country and a better world?

Reference: “The Nigerian Experiment” by Amanda Witt on salvomag.com

For more on this, read Darwin Comes to Africa by Olufemi Oluniyi

April 13, 2026April 11, 2026

Purpose in Life and Euthanasia

One of the greatest challenges in life is to know why we exist. For Christians, our existence has a clear purpose. The book of Job offers a clear picture of the war between good and evil, and Jesus Christ taught His followers that they would be active soldiers in that war. Ephesians 6:12 tells Christians, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 3:10 tells us that championing this struggle is the Church’s purpose. As a Christian, I can tell you that I have a purpose in life, and that makes my life full of meaning.

So, how do atheists explain their purpose for existing? For the young college student who is at the top of their game, the answer may be to enjoy the “survival of the fittest.” What is the answer for those who are not the “fittest”?

Noelia Castillo was a 25-year-old woman who ended her life against the wishes of her family, the Catholic Church, and the Spanish government. She spent her teenage years in a state-run foster care facility. She was sexually assaulted multiple times, including a gang rape, after which she jumped from a 5th-floor window, leaving her a paraplegic. She ended her life under a Spanish law that was intended for the elderly. Intellectuals are now debating what purpose in life she could have had.

Philosophers and psychologists can argue all they want, but the fact is, as a Christian, Noelia COULD have had a great purpose in life. How many young women in Spain have been raped or gang raped, and need to know that they can recover from that horror by someone who has been there? What influence could she have had on the Catholic Church?

In America, the debate is centered on “death with dignity.” Unless we present a purpose for living in the debate, we will never reach a real consensus. Your author is 88 years old and has his share of pain. To end my life prematurely would destroy a time in my life when I can uniquely speak to younger people about why their lives can be full of meaning. The key is to use the tools God has given all humans to make this world a better place in which to live.

Reference: The Week magazine, April 10, 2026, page 15.

April 10, 2026April 10, 2026

Return From the Moon

The astronauts of Artemis 2 have made their successful return from the Moon. I am sure that we will soon learn new things about the Moon and space flight. The plan is to land people on the Moon as early as two years from now.

This week, we have been looking back at information we have posted about the Moon over the last several years. Our Moon is more than 50 times more massive relative to our planet than the moons of any other planets in our solar system. Because of that, its gravitational pull affects life on Earth. Its braking power has slowed Earth’s rotation rate to give us 24-hour days. Longer days would cause day-to-night temperature extremes, and shorter days would produce extreme climate fluctuations. The Moon also stabilizes the tilt of Earth’s axis, which is essential for a stable climate.

The size and albedo (reflectivity) of the Moon provide the optimum nighttime illumination for nocturnal animals. Its size allows it to periodically eclipse the Sun, giving scientists much to learn about the Sun’s corona. The bottom line is that, according to astrophysicist Hugh Ross, for a planet to host advanced life requires a planet-moon system “with virtually identical” to ours, and it “must orbit a star virtually identical to the Sun.”

We can be thankful that God has given us the exact Moon that we have. I am sure that when astronauts return from the Moon, they will be glad that we live on planet Earth. Click HERE to learn a lesson in perspective from the Moon, written by John N. Clayton.

April 9, 2026April 9, 2026

A Solar Eclipse from Space

The Moon is just the right size and at the right distance from Earth to give us perfect solar eclipses. Tomorrow is the day when Artemis 2, with its crew of four, is scheduled to return to Earth. While on their journey around the Moon, they witnessed a solar eclipse from space. It was not the same as seeing a solar eclipse from Earth because the Moon was much closer to them than it is to us on Earth. Because of that, the Moon’s shadow was larger, but the astronauts could still see the Sun’s corona.

Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon two to four times per year, casting a shadow on the lunar surface. Total lunar eclipses are less common than partial or penumbral eclipses, but they are more interesting to watch. According to legend, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS USED A TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE to get the supplies he needed from the people of Jamaica. Whether full or partial, lunar eclipses can serve to remind us of HOW ESSENTIAL OUR MOON IS.

It was a rare and interesting experience for the astronauts to travel around the Moon and observe a solar eclipse from space, but I’m sure they will be excited to return home. They will be bringing back new information about our natural satellite, and the more we learn, the more we see evidence of God’s design.

April 8, 2026April 8, 2026

The Moon’s Gravity Affects Earth

As I write this, Earth’s gravity is pulling the Artemis 2 and its four astronauts back toward home after completing a trip around the Moon. Gravity is one of the precisely tuned forces that make life possible. It also explains why the Moon doesn’t fly off into space. Earth’s gravity influences the Moon, and the Moon’s gravity affects Earth in several ways.

One way our planet is affected by the Moon’s gravity is through the tidal lock that causes the same side of the Moon to always be visible from Earth. The Artemis 2 crew had the rare privilege of seeing the far side of the Moon as they passed around it. I’ve heard some newscasters call it the “dark side of the Moon,” but the Moon has no dark side. The Sun’s illumination reaches all sides of the Moon as it orbits our planet.

The Moon’s gravity influences Earth by CAUSING THE OCEAN TIDES. Once, it even HELPED OPEN THE SUEZ CANAL. God’s finely tuned design of the Earth-Moon system allows us to exist on this planet.

April 7, 2026April 7, 2026

How Many Moons in Our Solar System?

As I write this, four Artemis 2 astronauts are on their way back to Earth after making a trip around the Moon. Until they make their planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California, on Friday, April 10, 2026, I want to look back at what we’ve written about our amazing natural satellite. Our Moon is very unique—unlike any other moon—in both size and number. There are how many moons in our solar system? You can see from THIS ARTICLE that the number of confirmed moons keeps changing.

Will the number of confirmed moons change again in the future? Probably, but we know that Earth has only one Moon, and it is just the right SIZE and MASS.

So, there are how many moons in our solar system? If you count all the moons orbiting the planets, the total is approximately 430. That number is subject to change, but there is only one that is just right, and I am sure God designed it that way.

April 6, 2026April 3, 2026

A Royal Tax Bill

We are only a week away from tax day in the United States, and I am concerned that I still haven’t completed my tax return. I’m surely not the only one in this situation, and it isn’t anything new. In fact, near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered part of what might be King Hezekiah’s unpaid royal tax bill, dating from the eighth or seventh century BC.

What they found is part of a bulla, a piece of clay used to seal a document. A bulla often summarized what was inside the attached document. This one, from the first temple period, is written in Neo-Assyrian and appears to relate to a delay in paying a royal tax bill owed to Assyria by the king of Judah. Archaeologists confirmed that the clay came from the Assyrian heartland near the Tigris River. It would be interesting to see the full document from the Assyrian equivalent of the IRS, but we can learn some things from this fragment.

The document confirms a due date on the first day of the month of Av (not April 15). It also mentions a chariot officer, probably the one responsible for bringing the royal tax bill from Assyria to Jerusalem. It seems that King Hezekiah was late in paying his taxes. You can read about that in 2 Kings 18. Verses 5 and 7 tell us that “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel…And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.”

If you think you can get by without paying your taxes by trusting the Lord, consider this. Verse 13 states that Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah. Then Hezekiah sent him this message: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me” (verse 14). Sennacherib demanded a lot. The royal tax bill forced Hezekiah to surrender all the silver in the temple and the royal treasury.

One lesson here is to pay your taxes on time, but there’s more. The most important thing we learn from this document is that it aligns with what we read in the Bible. Archaeological discoveries continue to support the biblical record. It’s another sign that we can trust the Bible.

Reference: “Hezekiah’s Unpaid Tax Bill?” in Biblical Archaeology Review, spring 2026. 2026.

April 3, 2026April 3, 2026

The Physical Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. It transformed the apostles from frightened cowards to bold proclaimers of the gospel. The resurrection was central to Paul’s preaching and evangelism. He wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 19-20).

The resurrection offers comfort to believers and serves as a sign to unbelievers, the impetus for evangelism. It is what gives us hope that this life is not the end of our existence. The resurrection was the only miracle Jesus predicted beforehand, and through it, He proved that He truly was the Son of God with power over death.

As we remember what Christ did for us on the cross, we also recall that it was through the resurrection that He conquered death and hell. That’s what gives us hope. It affirms the gospel message. Earlier, we quoted a passage from the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus. Part of that quote said Nero blamed the Christians for the fire in Rome. Tacitus wrote that the Christian “superstition” originated from “Christus” who “suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome…”

Notice that Tacitus said this “superstition” was checked for the moment, but broke out again. Why did it break out again after the instigator had been put to death? The only reason is because of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ! This pagan Roman historian actually confirms the resurrection of Christ!

At this season of the year, we’re reminded of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. However, we must not think of it just once a year but every week and every day. That is what the Christian faith is built on and what gives us hope even when things seem hopeless. The physical resurrection of Jesus Christ is verified by both biblical and historical testimony.

April 2, 2026April 1, 2026

The Crucifixion of Yohanan Ben Ha’galgol

In June 1968, during excavation in Jerusalem to build apartments, archaeologists discovered a first-century Jewish burial site. One significant find from that excavation relates to the crucifixion of Yohanan Ben Ha‘galgol.

Jewish burial customs in the first century included the use of ossuaries. An ossuary is a limestone box, often with ornate carvings, used to hold the bones of a deceased. They typically had the name carved into them. After the initial burial and decomposition, the bones would be collected and placed into the ossuary to save burial space. At this Jerusalem site, archaeologists uncovered the remains of 35 Jews. They apparently died around AD 70, during the Jewish uprising against Rome, with evidence of violent deaths caused by beating, starvation, burning, or arrow wounds.

One man, estimated to be 24 to 28 years old and about 5 feet 7 inches tall, had been crucified. His bones still bore a 7-inch spike driven sideways through the heels, with small pieces of wood attached. Nails had also been driven through the radius and ulna bones near the hands. The radius bone, in particular, was scratched and worn smooth where the nail passed through. During crucifixion, victims had to pull themselves up to breathe, then fall back exhausted until, lacking the strength to continue, they would suffocate. This movement had apparently worn the ulna bone in Yohanan’s case. We know his name because it was carved into his ossuary.

Yohanan’s leg bones were broken—his left tibia and fibula, and his right tibia—likely struck by a single blow. According to John 19:31-35, Roman soldiers would sometimes break the legs of crucifixion victims to hasten death. In Jesus’ case, they didn’t have to break His legs because He was already dead, confirmed by the spear thrust into His side.

Yohanan Ben Ha’galgol’s crucifixion confirms that Romans nailed victims through the heels or feet and wrists, causing agonizing death by suffocation over several hours. Sometimes, bodies were left on crosses for days as an example for others. At other times, soldiers broke the legs to speed up death—not for the victim’s benefit, but to expedite the crucifixion process.

Nearly two millennia later, Yohanan Ben Ha’galgol’s crucifixion helps us better understand what Jesus endured on the cross. Before crucifixion, Jesus had suffered a beating and blood loss, nearly to death, and a crown of thorns pressed on His head, causing blood to stream over His face. But His greatest anguish was when He cried out, “God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Being separated from the Father for the first time in eternity is beyond our understanding, but we know He endured it all for us.